The Chola Dynasty (300 BC – 1279 CE) of Southern India were followers of Shaivism and great patrons of arts, literature & poetry . Chola Kings (Tamil : சோழர்) were one among the most prominent rulers of India, who built several Shiva Temples around the world, many of these are still in existence. ‘The Great Living Chola Temples’ the name given to a group of three architectural marvels built by the Chola Kings, still exist at Thanjavur, Gangaikondacholapuram and Darasuram in TamilNadu. These three temples are unique for their Dravidian architecture and incredible artistic skills. The mighty Brihadeeswarar temple ( Read about it here ) at Thanjavur (Big Temple, Peruvudaiyar Kovil) was completed in 1010 AD by emperor Raja Raja Chola I (985–1014 AD) . Brihadeeswarar temple which turned 1000 years old in 2010 is one of the biggest temples in India and a World Heritage Monument of UNESCO. Rajendra Chola-I (1012-1044 AD) son of the Great Rajaraja-I who believed to have conquered the lands upto Ganga river in North was known as Gangaikondacholan . He was one of the most famous Chola Kings whose Kingdom spread across most parts of Southern India, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Sumatra, Kadaram (now Kedah in Malaysia) and […]

Artillery firing continued profusely for weeks and months without having a single enemy in the vicinity. In fact, the Portuguese soldiers were firing cannon balls at the mighty rock sculptures in Elephanta caves for target practicing. A journey through the timeline of explorations, invasions and colonization would reveal the bloodshed and destruction that accompanied every successful event. Successors of those ruthless invaders who turned the treasures of a great country into heaps of rubble and sand must feel ashamed of their forefathers’ deeds. While we boast about the rich culture and heritage of India, those disturbing facts are often being ignored. Gharapuri was the name of that ancient island kingdom situated near Mumbai harbour. Gharapuri literally means ‘City of Caves’ in Marathi language. Traces of early inhabitation that dates back to 2nd century BC is still visible in this little island. For travelers visiting Mumbai, it would be a quick escapade from the hustle and bustle of one of the largest cities in the world. The island consists of two small hillocks on its east and west sides with a narrow ravine situated in the middle. Caves and sculptures have been carved out of Basalt rock similar to that existed […]

Ellora Cave Complex is situated 29 Kms North-West of Aurangabad, a prominent city located 300 Kms away from Mumbai in India. The name Ellora has been derived from Elapura, what the place was originally known as. Carved out of Volcanic basalt rock, this group of temples and monasteries are dedicated to Buddhism, Hinduism and Jainism spanning between 600-1000 AD. Out of a hundred caves discovered, 34 are accessible to the public today. Millions of years back, ancient volcanic lava flowed past the Deccan plateau and solidified to form multiple layers of fine-grain basaltic rock. Evidence of early human settlement dating back to upper Palaeolithic period (10,000 to 20,000 years old) has been located in this area. Ellora had a close proximity to a famous trade route since the Satavahana dynasty’s period (271 BC to 30 BC). Perhaps that was the reason why Ellora never got abandoned and lost to oblivion like Ajanta caves. (Read about Ajanta here>>) Though the exact period of construction has not been traced out, it is believed that this spectacular architecture was the contribution from King Krishna#1 of Rashtrakuta dynasty (760 AD). The written records of Arab travellers who visited Ellora during 10th century give us a […]

Around 450 kilometres away from the hustle and bustle of Mumbai, one of the busiest cities of the world, there lies the jewel in the crown of ancient India. ‘Ajanta’ is a classic example of Indian art, Architecture, Culture and Religion integrated into a set of magnificent cave temples. Ajanta consists of a total of 29 Buddhist monasteries and sanctuaries belonging to the Theravada and Mahayana Buddhist traditions dating from 2nd century BC to 6th century AD. This wondrous architectural masterpiece had been lying abandoned and hidden away for thousands of years, until it was re-discovered by a group of British soldiers in 1819. 104 Km away from the city of Aurangabad in Maharashtra, the river Waghora descends down in a series of seven steps, forms a pool called Saptakund and flows further down through a narrow sinuous gorge adjoining a horse-shoe shaped rock. The caves had been carved on the sheer vertical face of this rock with incredible precision & artistic skills. From the shape of the rock and its geological properties, it is evident that the site was formed by an ancient volcanic eruption in Deccan plateau. It was on 28th of April 1819, a group of soldiers […]

Year 2015 is coming to an end. When I look back, I feel 2015 was quite a happening year as far as photography was concerned . I have been trying to consolidate my favourite captures into groups and the first of the lot is ‘walls’. Yes, those walls simply fascinated me…

Name of the Hoysala empire comes from Kannada folklore that tells the story of a young man called Sala who fights and kills a lion (or tiger) to save his Master Sudatta. “Hoy, Sala” in Kannada language means “Strike Sala” which became the name of the dynasty he founded. The pictorial representation of this incident became the emblem of Hoysala empire too. A statue of Sala fighting the lion welcomes you at the entrance of Chennakesava temple at Belur. The temple was built during the rule of Vishnuvardhana of the Hoysala dynasty in 12th Century AD. According to the legend, Chief Architects of Chennakeshava Temple were ‘Amarashilpi Jakanacharya’ and his son ‘Dankanacharya’. Please go through my detailed article on the history of Belur & Halebid by clicking here. Chennakesava temple is well-known for extremely fine carvings, sculptures and motifs on its outer walls. The most famous and exquisite ones among these are the 42 well-carved bracket figures known as Madanikas (Chaste Maidens or Salabhanjikas). 38 of these are placed outside the temple while 4 of them could be found inside. Vishnuvardhana’s Queen Shantala Devi was considered to be the epitome of perfect feminine beauty and the Madanika sculptures were crafted by portraying the queen […]

“Hoy, Sala !” in Kannada language means “Strike Sala !”, a dialogue that comes from Kannada folklore. As per the story, a young boy called Sala fought with a lion (or tiger) and saved his Jain Guru named Sudatta. The young warrior became the founder of an empire called ‘Hoysala’ and a depiction of this incident was adopted as the emblem of Hoysala dynasty. Hoysala Empire ruled the Deccan Plateau region of Southern India between the 10th and 14th centuries. They developed their own style of architecture and built a number of impeccable masterpieces around the kingdom, thus leaving their cultural imprint in and around the region. Several of these architectural wonders still exist in Karnataka, the most prominent ones are listed below in chronological order : Click the name of a temple to go through a photo tour. TEMPLE PLACE YEAR KING Chennakesava Belur 1117 Vishnuvardhana Hoysaleswara Halebidu 1120 Vishnuvardhana Kedareshwara Halebidu 1200 Veera Ballala II Veeranarayana Belavadi 1200 Veera Ballala II Ishvara (Shivalaya) Arsikere 1220 Veera Ballala II Kesava Somanathapura 1268 Narasimha III VEERA NARAYANA TEMPLE, BELAVADI Belavadi is a little village located 10 km north-west of Halebid (Halebeedu), the ancient capital of Hoysala kingdom. Belavadi is also known […]

Belur (ಬೇಲೂರು) was the early capital of Hoysala Empire. Halebidu is located 16 km away from Belur, both belong to the Hassan district and among the major tourist destinations in Karnataka. Belur is situated by the banks of river Yagachi, a tributary of river Kaveri . It is around 222 Km from Bangalore. The main attraction in Belur is the Chennakesava temple, which is famous for its exquisite carvings and Hoysala workmanship. ‘Chenna’ Kesava literally means ‘Handsome Vishnu’ who is the main deity of this temple, being worshipped in the centre of the temple complex, surrounded by Kappe Chennigraya temple and a few other shrines. The temple was built by King Vishnuvardhana in 1117 CE, to commemorate his victory over the Cholas at Talakkad . (read about Talakkad here). Legend has it that the construction of this temple took 103 years. This style of detailed and intricate carving is typical to the Hoysala temples of Karnataka and it portrays scenes from Hindu mythology as well as the contemporary culture, art forms and weaponry. The material used for carving is known as Soapstone (Green schist) which gives them the incredible finish . The soft version of soapstone could be shaped even using our […]

Chennakesava Temple was constructed in 1268 C.E by Soma, a Dandanayaka (commander) during the reign of King Narasimha III in the Hoysala Kingdom. Such detailed and intricate carving style is typical to the Hoysala temples of Karnataka. These masterpieces were carved out of Soapstone (Green schist) which gives them the incredible finish . Unlike granite or marble, the soft version of soapstone could be shaped even using our finger nails. Instead of the usual hammer/chiselling process with stones, most of such pillars & sculptures were made by lathe turning or scraping motion of the tools. A bit of polishing using oil would give them life-like appearance too. The side walls have been exquisitely carved, portraying the cavalry, elephants and scenes from the epics like Mahabharat, Ramayan & Bhagavat. From the extreme detailing of the sculpures influenced by the culture, clothing, dances, jewelry, weaponry etc, research students could learn a lot about history of that period. This Vaishnava temple has an east-facing building with a strong boundary wall (prakara) and three shrines (trikuta) constructed over a star shaped platform (jagati). The temple is equally beautiful compared to Belur & Halebid temples of the similar architecture. (Read about Belur & Halebid here). […]

They say ‘fact is stranger than fiction !!’ Talakad is a historic site near Mysore in India. Talakad once had over 30 temples that today are buried under sand. Massive sand dunes cover a vast spread area where the natives talk about several myths & legends about this unnatural phenomenon. Excavation is still going on and several Temples have been recovered from sand dunes . The photos here are taken by me from the same location within a gap of 24 years. In the first picture, we were standing on top of the partly visible Mahadwara (“grand entrance”) of Kirtinarayana temple which had been fully recovered and restored now (shown in the picture below). Talakkad was developed by the Ganga Dynasty in the first millennium CE, and then by the Tamil Cholas from the 11th through the 12th centuries. Talakkad came under the rule of Hoysalas in the 12th century. It was then taken over by the Vijayanagar rulers and the Maharajas of Mysore. Talakkad got buried under sand over 400 years back and there are several theories behind this mystery. Scientific study suggests that it could an eco-disaster triggered by a series of earthquakes. People also believe that the area got […]